Kate Wignall designed her winning Agricultural Fair poster based on the town signs on the Vineyard. She modeled the energetic sheep on her dog Piper.

The 29-year-old artist has been visiting the Vineyard for a long time, but this was the first time she entered the poster design competition. A few years ago, her mother purchased a cottage in the Camp Ground. “I thought it would be a good surprise for my mom as well,” Ms. Wignall said.

This year is the 156th annual Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society Fair, held this summer on August 17, 18, 19 and 20. The poster design contest began in 1986.

Ms. Wignall is a painter and a sculptor who lives in New York. She painted the sheep in acrylics and did the lettering digitally. This wasn’t her dog Piper’s first modeling job either. The Australian shepherd made appearances at Ms. Wignall’s wedding on signs and as the cake topper. Going into the design process, Ms. Wignall had a clear idea in mind.

“I wanted something clean and then why not juxtapose it with something really fun, like a wild looking sheep,” she said.

Eleanor Neubert, Ag Fair Director, said the poster competition committee looks for a strong agricultural angle in posters and tries to avoid repetition.

“We have not had a sheep in a long time,” she said. “I think 2003 was the last time we had a poster with a sheep on it.”

Any aspiring poster designers should take a look at the past years’ posters for subject matters to avoid, Ms. Neubert suggested.

“For artists thinking about next year, we’ve had a lot of poultry in the past few years,” she said.

Along with posters, Ms. Wignall’s design will be printed on T-shirts, aprons and tote bags. She has already tried out the image on an alternative canvas for a birthday present for her mom.

“I put the poster image on a mug,” Ms. Wignall said. “She was delighted.”